The '''[[Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)]]''' is a four-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] have prospered during their tenure as public servants. <br>

The '''[[Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)]]''' is a four-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] have prospered during their tenure as public servants. <br>

−

It consists of four different metrics pioneered by the [[Government Accountability Institute]]:

+

It consists of four different metrics:

*[[Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index)|Changes in Net Worth]]

*[[Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index)|Changes in Net Worth]]

Dean A. Heller (b. May 10, 1960, in Castro Valley, CA) is a Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Nevada. Heller was appointed to John Ensign's vacancy in the Senate in 2011. He won election to a full term in the Senate in 2012.[1]

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Heller served in the Nevada State Assembly and as the Secretary of State in Nevada.[2]

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Heller is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills.

Biography

Heller is long time resident of Carson City. His family relocated there when he was 9 months of age. He is a graduate of Carson High School, and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, specializing in finance and securities analysis, from the University of Southern California in 1985.[2]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Heller's academic, professional and political career:[2]

2011-2012

Key votes

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[5] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Heller's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[6]

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Heller voted against the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[7]

Drones filibuster

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists criticized President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster -- 13 Republicans and one Democrat.[8][9][10]

According to the website Breitbart, Heller was one of 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster.[11][12]

The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."[13]

The proposed budget would have cut about $5 trillion over the next decade and aimed to balance the budget by the end of the 10-year period.[15]

Some tea party members of the GOP opposed the measure because of its reliance on $600 billion-plus in tax revenues on the wealthy enacted in January 2013, in order to balance the budget.[14] Others in the Senate opposed the Ryan plan because of cuts from safety net programs for the poor and the inclusion of a plan to turn the Medicare program for the elderly into a voucher-like system for future beneficiaries born in 1959 or later.[14]

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Heller voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[16]

Government shutdown

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[17] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Heller voted with the Republican Party against the bill.[18]

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Heller voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[19]

Social issues

Violence Against Women (2013)

Heller voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[20]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Heller voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[21]

Issues

On The Issues Vote Match

On The Issues conducts a VoteMatch analysis of elected officials based on 20 issue areas. Rather than relying on incumbents to complete the quiz themselves, the VoteMatch analysis is conducted using voting records, statements to the media, debate transcripts or citations from books authored by or about the candidate. Based on the results of the quiz, Heller is a Moderate Conservative. Heller received a score of 32 percent on social issues and 70 percent on economic issues.[22]

On The Issues organization logo.

The table below contains the results of analysis compiled by staff at On The Issues.

Controversy

Jon Ralston

Jon Ralston, a political journalist from Nevada, expressed frustration with Heller's staff. Ralston called them, "the most unprofessional I have worked with (or not!) in a quarter-century of covering politics." He noted that some might find his opinion self-centered, saying, "I acknowledge that it is impossible to write about this topic without seeming self-serving, like a peevish, arrogant journalist not getting his way." He added, "Heller’s turtle act is just sad and cowardly. But his staff’s behavior is more than merely pathetic and unprofessional; it is an outrageous affront to taxpayers who pay their salaries." Heller's spokesman Chandler Smith responded, "Although we disagree with him, Jon Ralston is welcome to express his opinion."[24]

Campaign themes

2012

On his website, Heller said, "Government debt has grown exponentially for far too long and this reckless spending is having a direct negative impact on our nation's economy. The key to turning our economy around is to remove impediments that have caused economic stagnation and the inability of businesses to create new jobs. Not continue with business as usual."

"Fiscal Responsibility"

On his website, Heller said, "Dean believes that increasing taxes to pay for bigger government makes little sense. Instead, Congress should cut spending, reduce the size of government and provide tax breaks for America's working middle class."

"Housing and Foreclosures"

On his website, Heller said, "Heller believes that private capital, not the federal government, as the primary source of mortgage financing housing market is essential to long-term stability. As a conservative, Dean supports financial regulatory reforms that stop taxpayer-funded bailouts and addresses the growing liabilities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

"Energy Independence"

On his website, Heller said, "Dean also believes that our nation needs a forward-thinking all of the above energy strategy that meets our short- and long-term energy needs through conservation, encouraging renewable energy and developing our own natural resources."

"Healthcare Reform"

On his website, Heller said, "Congress should work to curb frivolous lawsuits and runaway jury rewards that only serve to fatten the pockets of trial lawyers. Heller believes the current health care law should be replaced with market based reforms that bring down the cost of health care, increases access, and provides the consumer with more choices."

"Immigration Reform"

On his website, Heller proposed a three-step plan: 1) Start by enforcing existing immigration laws. 2) Fine businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. 3) Construct a border wall and provide the border patrol with the resources necessary to end the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

"Independence"

On his website, Heller said, "Dean is a staunch conservative that shares our values of hard work, family and the fiercely independent spirit of his fellow Nevadans. That's why he bucked his party, President Bush, and then presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain as the only member of the Nevada delegation to vote against the Wall Street bailout."

"Israel"

On his website, Heller said, "Dean is a strong supporter of the state of Israel and believes that the United States must provide staunch and endearing political support for Israel. Violence against Israel committed by extremist groups is relentless, and demonstrates the need for the United States to provide security assistance to our friend and ally. Israel is the front line in the struggle between free, Western societies and violent extremists like al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Iranian regime, Hezbollah and Hamas. The same extremists, who seek Israel's destruction, also seek the destruction of the United States."[25]

Political positions

Healthcare

Heller released a statement in August 2013 regarding the unemployment numbers in his district and the effects of the Affordable Care Act. He said, "This month’s decline in Nevada’s unemployment rate is promising, but it doesn’t change the fact that many job creators in the Silver State will walk into the office this morning worried about the toll ObamaCare is taking on their business. The delays in implementing portions of this law show just how flawed it is. Since the Affordable Care Act was passed, many employers have been forced to cut workers' hours or stop hiring altogether. Nevadans don’t need laws that discourage job creation; they need policies that will encourage growth and innovation.”[26]

The University of Virginia's Center for Politics publishes a newsletter called Sabato's Crystal Ball, and one article entitled "Tilting the Toss Ups – the Eight Races That Will Decide the Senate" from March 22, 2012, detailed the eight races in the Senate in 2012 that would decide the political fate of which party would end up with control in 2013.[29] Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the Senate seat in Nevada as a toss-up that they believed was most likely to depend on the outcome of the Presidential election in November.[29] According to the article, "the size of the Hispanic vote in Nevada come November may be more of a deciding factor in this contest than any SuperPAC."[29]

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Heller is available dating back to 2006. Based on available campaign finance records, Heller raised a total of $14,254,145 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 25, 2013.[32]

PGI: Change in net worth

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Heller's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $2,865,961 and $3,683,950. That averages to $3,276,455.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Heller ranked as the 42nd most wealthy senator in 2012.[35] Between 2006 and 2012, Heller's calculated net worth[36] increased by an average of 1 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[37]

Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[39]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

Lifetime voting record

According to the website GovTrack, Heller missed 43 of 944 roll call votes from May 2011 to July 2014. This amounts to 4.6 percent, which is worse than the median of 2.0 percent among current senators as of July 2014.[42]

Congressional staff salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Heller paid his congressional staff a total of $625,167 in 2011. He ranked first on the list of the lowest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked first overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Nevada ranked 42nd in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[43]

National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

↑The questions in the quiz are broken down into two sections -- social and economic. In social questions, liberals and libertarians agree in choosing the less-government answers, while conservatives and populists agree in choosing the more-restrictive answers. For the economic questions, conservatives and libertarians agree in choosing the less-government answers, while liberals and populists agree in choosing the more-restrictive answers.

↑This figure represents the average annual percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or their first year in office (as noted in the chart below) to 2012, divided by the number of years calculated.

↑This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.

↑This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.